NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Sophomore forward Lauren Battista (North Easton/Oliver Ames HS) scored 12 of her 16 points in the first 12 minutes as Bentley University, the second-ranked team in Division II, shot out to a 27-5 lead and cruised to an 87-58 win over Merrimack College in Northeast-10 Conference at the Volpe Center Tuesday night.

Bentley entered the game with an average margin of victory of 29 points and matched that while improving to 4-0 overall (2-0 NE-10) for the first time in seven years.  Merrimack dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

As has been the team's M.O. this season, the Falcons jumped on top early, using a pair of 10-0 runs to vault out to a 20-2 lead after nine-and-a-half minutes of play.  In each of the four games, coach Barbara Stevens' team has put up a string of at least ten straight points during the opening nine minutes.

Battista staked Bentley to a lead it would never relinquish when she hit the first basket of the game at 18:50. A free throw by sophomore forward Jacqui Brugliera (Fitchburg/Wachusett Reg. HS), a put back from junior guard Courtney Finn (Winthrop/Winthrop HS), a driving lay-up from Battista and a three-pointer launched by senior guard Meghan Thomann (Andover/Andover HS) made it 10-0 less than five minutes into the game.

Merrimack got on the board with a three-pointer from junior Katie Ganzer (Needham) with 14:36 left, and the Falcons responded with another 10-0 run. That one included four points apiece from Battista and senior forward Shatasia Kearse (Framingham/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS).

By that juncture, Merrimack had misfired on 11 of 12 shots from the floor and committed eight turnovers.

Following the Warriors' second basket of the game, which came just before the midpoint of the first half, two more Battista baskets and a three-pointer from senior guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governor's Academy) extended the differential to 22, 27-5, with eight minutes still to play.

Bentley closed the opening half with a 16-6 run over the final four minutes and took a commanding 47-23 lead into the locker room at the break.

The Falcons remained firmly in control throughout the second half with the lead peaking at 32 with a little more than a minute left.

Battista made eight of 12 shots from the floor, and also dished out four assists. Brugliera followed with 12 points, and both Finn and junior guard Kelsey Roberson (Arlington/Arlington Catholic HS) finished with 10 points, with Roberson's line also including six rebounds and four assists. The balanced attack also included eight points apiece for Kearse and grad student Elise Caira (Wakefield/ Arlington Catholic HS).

Junior forward Kelly Schlatzlein (Tolland, Conn.) led Merrimack with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, but the Falcons contained Warrior senior guard Genn Roy (Granby), holding her to only four points (2-9 shooting), 13 below her season norm.

Bentley shot 57 percent from the field, knocked down seven of 13 from three-point land and dominated the boards, 41-22.  Senior wing Lauren Massie (Fairfax Station, Va./West Springfield HS) led the way on the glass with nine.

The Falcons are back on the road Sunday, playing a 1:30 pm game at 5-1 Saint Anselm.